Fooled Around and Fell in Love
by Elle Nielsen
Summary: It's your classic story of Boy Meets Girl, boy and girl hate each other, girl blackmails boy to help her find a kidnapper then convinces him to be a cop, then they fall in love and live happily ever after! Totally simple, right? Not so much. Set after the events in the movie. I do not own any of the characters unless otherwise specified.
1. I'm Not in Love

Notes: Well, it sure has been awhile. I recently watched Zootopia and that elusive creativity bug peeked it's head out of hibernation and gave me the urge to write for the first time in a very, _very_ long time. If anyone would like. I am looking for a beta reader, if there are any issues or confusion it's because my brain autocorrects most errors that I make. So shoot me an email if you want to volunteer!

I started writing this just for the sheer fact that I _needed_ some closure with their relationship. I had planned for it to just be a One-Shot but the way things are going that is not the case! I wrote a lot of it while listening to the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack, hence the title.

Anyways! Enough chatter! Enjoy!

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"I'm Not in Love"

"Nicholas P. Wilde!"

The normally cheerful voice of Judy Hopps rang throughout ZPD headquarters, causing many of the police officers to stop what they were doing and look toward the desks of the aforementioned officer.

Among a pile of untidy case files and loose pieces of paper a black tipped red ear twitched and the head of the aforementioned fox rose slowly out from between two large piles of case files. Pinning his ears back he shrunk away slightly from the smaller rabbit and tried to not look at her.

"Hey, Carrots…" With a huff Judy crossed her arms tightly, ears pinned to the back of her head, her left foot started to tap wildly in agitation.

"What's the problem…partner?" Nicks' voice exposed his discomfort at the amethyst-eyed glare set upon him. A very unusual growl reverberated from the gray furred rabbit that caused the fox to flinch slightly. Judy waited for what seemed like an eternity, finally getting fed up with his silence.

"I go away for ONE WEEKEND, and our desks are COVERED. IN. CASE. FILES. What is (gods) name have you been DOING?" Her attempt at restraining her voice was obvious, but she was still unable to hide how aggravated she was with her vulpine partner.  
"Er, well, you see…I was going to get to them but I was held up by...by…something?" He finished lamely.

The rest of the precinct, having grown used to the various outburst from the sole rabbit officer, returned to their various tasks and assignments, leaving the fox to fend for himself.

"Something." Judy mimed quotation marks with her hands, "came up?" She dropped her arms to her sides, her fists clenched in frustration.

"What could possibly have come up that you were unable to finish the paperwork you 'promised' to finish while I was away," Nick opened his mouth to respond but was cut off before he could even begin to explain as Judy started in on one of her tirades.

"'It'll be fine.' He says, 'Don't worry at all!' He promises. 'I will have it all done by the time you come back! Just enjoy your family!'" Her voice had risen to a shout at this point and it took a lot of self-control for Nick to not crawl underneath his desk in shame. Instead, he managed to muster up his courage and stand up to the furious rabbit.

"Now, now look Hopps, you don't know what could have happened while you were gone! I could have been in a hostage situation, or-or had to chase down a bank robber!" Judy looked taken aback for a minute before she narrowed her eyes and put her hands on her hips. Nick crossed his arms, a smug look on his face.

"Did any of those things happen?" Judy tilted her head slightly, her ears starting to perk up a bit.

"Er, well, no, no they didn't." Judy narrowed her eyes. "But!" Nick rounded his desk to approach the bunny, "But they could have and you never gave me a chance to explain why!" Judy crossed her arms again and leaned back gesturing for him to continue. Nick perked up a bit and then grimaced. Scratching the back of his head he said, "I...well, you see, um…" Judy rolled her eyes and flopped down into her chair with a grumble. She grabbed a file off the top of the pile and started working, muttering about lazy foxes all the while. Nick looked surprised and then hung his head in shame, his ear laying flat on his head. The fox returned to his desk and slowly lowered himself into his own chair a quietly pulled a file out of the pile.

They worked in tense silence for about an hour before Nick cleared his throat, causing Judy to whip her head up and glare at him. Nick suppressed a flinch, "So...how's the her-I mean family. How's your family?" Judy narrowed her eyes then looked back down at her work. Nick worried his lip, wondering if this offense was severe enough to earn him the silent treatment when Judy finally responded.

"Fine. The farm is doing well. It was a very _pleasant_ weekend for me," Nick let out a breath he had been holding. He knew that if Judy was still willing to talk to him her anger would soon abate. The corner of the foxes lips raised as Judy relaxed her ears up slightly. The tension between the two slowly dwindled. Finally, when there were only two or three files left Judy placed her pen on the desk and rubbed her temples with a sigh.

"Nick…" the fox perked up a bit, her tone more tired than anything. "Why do you have such a hard time doing the things I ask?" The disappointment in her voice caused the fox to wilt, a painful knot forming in his stomach.

"Judy...you have to believe me when I tell you that it has nothing to do with you, it's just paperwork. I really, _really,_ hate paperwork. When I became a cop I had no idea there would be so much effing paperwork!" Nick threw up his hands in frustration before slouching back in his chair. Judy smirked slightly and shook her head, her ears returning to their naturally vertical position.

"Yeah, they don't really mention that in the job description," she eyed him, "seriously, though, what did you do while I was gone?" Any trace of annoyance was gone; her question was one of pure curiosity. Nick sighed and leaned forward, crossing his arms on his desk.

"It was Finnick, he got caught up in some scheme and tried to get me involved, he ended up getting picked up and I sorta posted his bail…" Nicks' ears lowered slightly. He knew that Judy didn't fully approve of his friendship with the small Fennec fox, but she just pursed her lips and held her tongue.

"Can you just promise me that you'll try harder next time?" Nick sat up straight and nodded.

"Sure thing Fluff, hey, since we're pretty much done here." Judy quirked a brow glancing at the last few files, "how bout we get out of here, grab a drink and some dinner? Betcha 20 bucks you haven't eaten yet?" The familiar smirk grew on Nicks' face and Judy let out an exasperated laugh.

"Fine, let me turn these files over to records and we can go." Judy collected all the completed case files and headed down to the records room. Nick watched her go, a warm smile on his face. He almost fell out of his chair when Benjamin Clawhauser sighed right next to his head. "Ahh, young love."

"Ben!? What are you doing you almost gave me a heart-attack!" Nick clutched his chest thematically and the cheetah just giggled.

"I saw the way you were looking at a certain bunny," he said 'bunny' in a singsong voice that made Nick roll his eyes.

"You're hallucinating." The cheetah giggled and said, "everyone in the precinct noticed how you moped around when Judy was gone. Like a sad little puppy who had lost his-" Nick stood up, cutting Ben off as Judy walked out of the door leading to records. Judy tilted her head in confusion at Nick's forced smile and strict posture.

"Shut it Clawhauser or I'll stop bringing you donuts." Ben gasped, clutched his chest, then made a swift exit before Judy got back to Nick. Judy peered around Nick at Ben, she opened her mouth to ask why he didn't stick around but Nick cut her off by seizing her shoulders.

"Whelp, time to go Carrots! Got your coat? Keys? Right, time to hit the road." Nick spun her around and started to frog march her towards the entrance to the precinct. Judy barely had time to shoot Clawhauser a questioning look before Nick shoved her out the front doors.

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Well, I'm rusty but hopefully if you got this far you enjoyed it. Please R&R! As stated above, I need a beta reader so message me if you're interested!


	2. Escape

Short chapter, enjoy!

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 _One week later, in the bullpen_

"Right, no announcements today, let's get into it. Mchorn and Rhinowitz, there have been complaints in Sahara Square of…" Nick tuned out Chief Bogo and let his mind wander. He and Judy had just closed up a big case involving a weasel trying to pass cockroaches off as some dietary supplement or some other, Judy had handled most of the details, Nick helped tracking down the weasel, he did know where all the seedy types liked to hang out. Nick figured that Bogo would let them take some easy case as a reward for catching the weasel so quickly. The fox had perfected the art of looking like he was paying attention while daydreaming or just not thinking about anything at all.

His mind wandering, Nick thought back to when Clawhauser accused him of having feelings for Carrots. He snorted internally and looked askance at the bunny sitting on the chair next to him. He started to study the gray furred mammal, her violet eyes were something that he hadn't ever seen before, and she always had a look of determined joy.

 _I guess she's cute if she isn't yelling at me…well...unless her nose starts twitching…_ Nick rested his chin on his hand while he watched her, smiling slightly remembering the first time she _really_ yelled at him and he couldn't stop laughing because her nose was twitching wildly. Judy must have felt him staring because she glanced his way, then did a double take when she noticed the vacant smile on his face. Judy quickly looked back at Bogo, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye finally, she couldn't handle it so she kicked him under the table.

"Ow!" Bogo fell silent and looked at Nick over the top of his glasses and crooked a brow.

"Officer Wilde, is there something you would like to add?" His flat tone indicated that if Nick actually said anything he would be assigned to records for the next month. Nick quickly shook his head and tried to make himself a small as possible. The water buffalo shook his head and continued explaining the various cases.

Judy nudged Nick with her elbow when the were assigned their case and she did not look happy.

"Parking duty! He gave us a week of parking duty, all because I kicked you and made you yelp. Sweet cheese and crackers." Judy's ears drooped as they made their way out to the motor pool to pick up their cars.

"Aw Carrots, think of it this way, it's a vacation from the hard stuff! No paperwork!" Nick hated parking duty just as much as Judy but he felt like it was his fault they were assigned it in the first place. Judy just sighed, pushing her way into the supply room to get their vests.

"I shouldn't have kicked you, you were just freaking me out with that blank stare and creepy smile. What were you thinking about that made you look at me like that anyways?" She asked distractedly while she pulled on her meter maid vest. The fox's eyes widened and he started to stammer.

"Oh, nothing, just a funny joke that I heard. Nothing to worry about. See you out there!" Nick grabbed his vest and bolted out of the room, leaving a bewildered Judy Hopps behind.

One of the good things about parking duty (probably one of the only good things) is it left Nick all day to slack take it easy. So long as he wrote at least 100 tickets by the end of the day Bogo wouldn't bother him. This gave him plenty of time to try to figure out why he couldn't stop thinking about his partner. Sure, she was cute, for a bunny, and she was nice, she was the first person who had ever believed in him besides his parents, her eyes were beautiful…

"Whoa, there slick, beautiful is not a word be associated with bunnies. Cute, that's fine, but beautiful...nah." The argument sounded feeble, even to Nick. He sighed, planting a ticket onto a car in the heart of Zootopia. If he were being honest with himself he had to admit that his feelings towards his fluffy-tailed partner hadn't ever been just platonic. At first, he explained it away as her being his first real friend, but after his months in Academy where he made actual friends, not just people he had to pull scams with, he realized that Judy meant more to him than they did.

Nick did what he did best, and suppressed these feelings. He took the feelings and put them in a box that he sealed up tight and crammed way deep down and forgot about. Recently, this was getting harder and harder, when he first started working at the precinct with Judy he was so focused on not screwing up that he never had time to worry about any feelings he had towards anyone. He had been working with Judy for six months now and he was not longer worried about doing his job, he could breath again, but unfortunately not having to be worried all the time let the mind wander and come up with crazy ideas, like picturing Judy in a dress, or what she would look like pinned-. Nick shook his head and quickly ended that train of thought he let out a breath and looked at his watch.

"Five o'clock, right on the dot. Time to pack up and head back!" He cheerily punched out one more parking ticket and hopped in his little car to head back to work. He decided he wasn't going to let a silly thing like feelings about _anything_ get in the way of his good mood. Maybe he would see if some of the guys wanted to go get a drink after work, Clawhauser had been talking about a new bar that served piña coladas.

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Like I said, a short chapter, I had most of this story written and then I didn't like the way it was headed so I had to scrap some stuff so I have parts of the story written but nothing to flow these first two chapters with the other stuff I have written. Be patient with me, hopefully, I will be able to find the bridges to link the various stories quickly so I won't keep anyone you waiting too long. Thank you! R&R


	3. Moonage Daydream

Sorry for the hiatus. School and things! Enjoy!

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The Policemammal's Ball

Zootopia Museum of Natural History

Nick wasn't nervous, not one tiny bit. What was there to be nervous about? It was just a party for his coworkers, and most of City Hall, and Judy would be there, in a _dress._ Clawhauser had cornered him a few days prior to _gush_ about how gorgeous Judy had looked in the dress she picked out. Judy, Clawhauser and Francine Pennington all went out shopping for outfits. Really it had initially been Judy and Francine that were going to go but as soon as Ben heard that there was going to be shopping involved he insisted he come along, citing his incredible taste in music as his credentials for dress shopping.

" _Oh_ _Nick_ _, the dress she got, oh my goodness, she looks better than Gazelle!" The cheetah was practically squealing by the time Nick managed to get away from the overly amorous officer._

At this beautiful moment in time, Nick was fighting the urge to pace outside the entrance to the ball. He and Judy had agreed to meet at the entrance; at the moment Nick couldn't think of a good reason why. He didn't want to make a fool of himself in public, he would have much rather been able to see Judy as she was getting ready so the initial reaction to seeing her all dressed up wouldn't be as startling.

The fox was so absorbed in his own thoughts he didn't notice the elegantly clad bunny approaching him until she was right next to him.

"Nick?" The aforementioned fox nearly jumped out of his skin before he whipped his head around to see who was talking to him. He had to suppress and sigh of relief when he saw that Judy was wearing a long, conservative, wool coat.

 _Good, now she can't surprise me with whatever dress she happens to be wearing._

Judy took a moment to look him up and down, an appreciative smirk on her face.

"Not bad, Slick, I'm impressed that you actually took the time to dress up," Judy remarked, crossing her arms. Nick raised a brow and glanced down at his dark blue suit, clearing his throat he adjusted his gray tie and offered his arm to Judy.

"Well, it's not every day that you get the chance to dress up, shall we Hopps?" Judy grinned up at him, her eyes sparkling and he thought his heart might have skipped a beat or two. She took his arm and let him lead her up the steps of the Natural History Museum. One inside, a tuxedo-clad otter offered to take Judy's coat, Nick was too busy admiring the decorations to notice the interaction between the two mammals. He was shaken out of his mind by a feminine voice clearing her throat. Nick turned to look at Judy and he almost swallowed his tongue. Clawhauser had not been lying when he said Judy looked beautiful. The lace dress she was wearing was a delicate shade of purple that brought out the color of her eyes, the dress hugged her the curve of her torso and hips before flaring slightly halfway down her legs. The sweetheart neckline gave just the barest hint of cleavage with. Judy spun and he almost let out a groan when he saw that the dress was backless. He could see the curve of her spine and it took all his power to not reach out and run a hand down the gray fur that was exposed. Judy finished the twirl and the train swished around her feet as she stopped. Nick swallowed and tried to say something but the noise that burst forth from his muzzle was most certainly not anything coherent. He cleared his throat and tried to speak a second time.

"N—not bad, Carrots." His voice was an octave or two higher than normal but Judy didn't seem to notice. The tips of her ears flushed pink and she looked almost shy, she tried to shrug nonchalantly before motioning Nick to get moving. The bunny took his arm again and he had to make a concerted effort to not stare down at the gorgeous mammal on his arm. He didn't have to fight his instincts long, a high pitched squeal caused him to pin his ears back in shock, a blur of orange and black rushed towards them and before Nick could react Judy was pulled from his arm and being spun around by a certain Cheetah.

"Oh Judy, it looks even better than I remembered! Nick, Nick, isn't she absolutely stunning!" Clawhauser's excited squeals caused all the mammals in the vicinity to stop what they were doing and check out the commotion. Nick tugged at his collar, uncomfortable with all the eyes on him and Judy.

"Yep, she sure does Ben, mind putting down my date? Folks are staring." Judy didn't seem to mind the attention, she was laughing happily. She was positively beaming once Ben put her down, she turned her hundred watt smile onto Nick and he _knew_ that his heart was going to stop and he would drop dead right then and there. He must have looked pretty stupid because Judy giggled before she took his arm again.

"Come along Slick, let's get something to drink," Nick smirked down at Judy and let her drag him to the refreshments table.

After the two had been properly hydrated they found their tables and spent the time quietly observing the crowd. Nick occasionally leaned over and whispered in Judy's ear, pointing out some of the more ridiculous outfits various mammals were wearing. His partner had the good sense to keep her giggles to a minimum, but his heart warmed every time he was able to make her laugh. It wasn't until right before the speeches were about to start that his good mood was soured by a gray and black-furred rabbit taking a seat right next to _his_ Judy. Nick narrowed his eyes and studied the mammal, he had black stripes on his cheeks and ears, his ice blue eyes swept over Judy, not even glancing at the green eyes fox to her left. Judy just blinked at the stranger and then her face lit up.

"Jack Savage! Right? Oh, tell me I'm right?" Her voice was far too excited for Nicks liking and the growl that emanated from his throat didn't go unnoticed by the male rabbit. This _Jack Savage_ quirked a brow at Nick before smiling at Judy.

"At your service," he had the gal to take Judy's paw in his and brush a kiss on the back. "Judy Hopps, I presume." Judy let out a girlish giggle that Nick had never heard before and the fox narrowed his eyes at his partner.

"Oh, it's so good to finally meet you! I've read all about you of course, did you really…" There was a rushing sound in Nick's ears that drowned out whatever Judy was saying. He glared daggers at this rabbit, there was something that felt off about him. Savage was far too friendly with _his_ Judy and sat far too close. Nick shoved his chair back from the table, muttering something about the bathroom and stalked off. He glanced behind quickly and saw that Judy was looking after him, her head tilted and a confused expression on her face. He angrily stalked off to the edge of the tables and leaned against a pillar, his face shadowed to the room.

Judy watched her partner stalk away from the table in a huff, she couldn't think why he was so upset but it worried her.

 _If there's something wrong he needs to tell me…_

"…Bogo told me you're the best for this—Judy? Did you hear me?" Judy sat up and gave Jack a forced smile.

"Yes, sorry—what? No, I'm sorry my mind was somewhere else. What were you saying?" Thankfully it didn't seem that her lack of attention bothered the other rabbit.

"I am going to be coming back to Zootopia for a case in a few months and Chief Bogo told me that if I needed local assistance you were the best he has," Jack repeated with a confident smirk. Judy blinked then tilted her head in confusion.

"You mean, Nick and I? I mean, since Nick joined the force our solve rates have gone through the roof and Bogo has told us that we are the best team…" Jack shrugged and waved his hand nonchalantly.

"Eh, he may have mentioned Nick but I'm not interested in working with a _fox._ " The way he said fox made Judy clench her teeth in frustration, she clenched her paws and took a breath.

" _Officer Wilde_ is a fantastic officer, he is one of the most loyal and honest mammals that I know. If you want the best on your team then you will want _both_ of us." Jack looked slightly taken aback by the frigid tone of her voice. The violet-eyed bunny was about to get up to go after her partner when the lights dimmed, the entire room quieted and a spotlight shone on the podium. Mayor Steelhoof took the stand and Judy had to refrain from curling a lip at the antelope. Jack gave Judy one last searching look before turning around to face the Zootopian official.

"Ladies and Gentle-mammals, I thank you all for coming tonight. Tonight marks a special night as we celebrate the one-year anniversary of the close of one of the darkest times in Zootopian history. I speak, of course, of the Missing Mammal case that our own local officers solved in record time. I bring this up, to remind us what we can accomplish if we all work together, prey and predators alike. I also bring this up because we have our winner for Cop of the Year award. Now, if you will all applaud, Judy Hopps." Suddenly there was a light in Judy's eyes and everyone in the room was clapping for her.

 _Bogo didn't tell me about this!_ She sat in stunned silence for a moment before someone nudged her and she was out of her chair like someone had set it on fire. Before she can even think of what to say she's standing up at the podium being presented a small wooden plaque with her name on it. Steelhoof is giving her a tight-lipped smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes, then she steps down to let Judy give a speech.

"Um, I, uh, well—thank you, obviously, for this honor. I—uh, wasn't expecting…" The room is a mess of dark shadows and she can't grapple the words quickly enough. She looks around, trying to find a familiar face and then she sees him standing off to the side, arms crossed with a smirk on his face. Judy smiles at him then turns back to the crowd.

"Sorry, I was not told ahead of time that I would be getting this so I don't have a speech or anything prepared. I am honored that I would be chosen for this award but I should not be the sole recipient of this award. I had help on the missing mammal's case and he is here tonight. Nick?" Judy searched for him again but he's moved from his spot, she waved for the spotlight operator to search the crowd, then she spotted him, he's moving quickly but not towards the podium. Judy still has spots in her eyes and she can't see what he's running towards.

 _BANG_

Judy instinctively dropped down to the ground and reached for her tranquilizer gun but she doesn't have it. The rabbit scanned the room, trying to find the shooter and then she saw the blood.

 _BANG. BANG_

Judy ran towards the Mayor, red blooming across the antelope's stomach. Before she can think Judy is looking for the entry wound and grabbing the mayor's hooves and using them to apply pressure.

"Mayor, keep holding pressure, I need to go…" But she didn't know where she needed to go before she could think of what to do someone is tackling her from behind. She hit the ground with an 'oof' and then there was just pain and darkness.

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Alrighty, a bit longer and some parts in Judy's POV! If you want a better picture of the dress that Judy is wearing this was my inspiration. As Always R&R.

product/598171/lilac-prom-dresses-vintage-prom-gown-mermaid-evening-gowns-lace-party-dress-lace-evening-dress-2016-prom-dress


	4. Hooked on a Feeling

Sorry for the late update. School and writers' block are making my life difficult. This chapter was supposed to lead up to the one shot I posted awhile back but the story just didn't really align with the one shot. The outcome is the same but the lead up changed slightly so the way they reached the last point changed slightly. If you haven't done so already, I suggest popping over to my OneShot titled Breaking Point. I warn you it is rated M because it is just one giant Lemon but it's what I initially envisioned after the ball had finished. Anyways, I hope you enjoy! This is technically the last chapter. There will be a short epilogue but this is where the story was headed in the first place. Thank you!

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Policemammal's Ball Part 2

When Judy mentioned his name it sent a small thrill through him, hearing the pride in her voice when she used his name made his stomach do funny things. Nick pushed himself away from the pillar and that's when he saw the figure across the room. He wasn't sure what about the figure caught his attention; they were all clad in black, a black hood covering their features. It wasn't until he saw the flash of a weapon that he started to run. The fox was thankful that everyone was sitting in rapt attention to Judy's speech; it made his mad dash across the room easier. The fox was halfway across the room when the first shot rang out, his body surged with adrenaline and fear, propelling him the rest of the way to the shooter. Nick tackled the mammals to the ground, grappling with the shooters gun hand and slamming it on the ground until the weapon went skittering away.

"ZPD, you're under arrest, you have the right-," The mammal pinned beneath him started laughing hysterically and pointing to the podium. Nick glanced up and saw another figure standing over the mayor and Judy-

"Judy!" Shooter forgotten, Nick scrambled to get to the podium. He noticed the blood pooling under Judy and the mayor's bodies and he had to swallow a howl. The figure standing over the prone mammals started to kneel, pulling a long silver knife from somewhere in their clothes. Mammals were running to get to the exit, slowing Nick's progress towards to podium. The knife started to descend when a grey blur hit the assailant square in the chest and propelled them backward off the podium. Judy pushed herself off the ground then leaped onto the chest of the assailant and tried to wrestle the knife out of their hands. Nick saw a spray of blood as he finally reached the two mammals wrestling; with his added strength the partners were able to subdue the assailant. Judy left Nick to handle the arrest while Judy ran back to the mayor. Nick handcuffed the mammal with the knife before flipping them back over and ripping off their hood. Nick looked down into the snarling face of a Hyena. He was foaming at the mouth but his eyes were cold and focused. The fox glanced up to see Judy assisting the paramedics with the Mayor.

 _When did they get here?_

Nick read the hyena his rights and then handed him off to the nearest officer. Judy was trying to brush off on of the paramedics, unaware that she was bleeding rather heavily from her left forearm. Nick hurried to her side and grasped her right bicep a bit too tightly.

"Nick, you're hurting-" Before she got a chance to finish he had grabbed her other bicep and presented the wound to the orangutan hovering around the bunny. Judy blinked down at her bleeding arm then winced up at Nick. The fox kept his expression purposefully blank, internally wanting to go after the perp and tear him limb from limb for hurting _his_ Judy, Nick was so angry he didn't even notice when he referred to Judy as 'his.' The orangutan finished dressing Judy's wound, telling her that she should still go to the hospital and have a doctor look at it. Judy thanked the paramedic and started to the entrance, Nick's paw still holding onto her bicep.

The partners made it outside and Nick led Judy away from the mass of mammals into the shadow of the museum. He gently guided her to her back was to the building and he was looking at her, his back towards the street, shielding her from the public. The fox used his excellent night vision to look over his partner. At a glance, she appeared to be fine but Nick knew her face and saw the small crease in her brow that indicated her worry, the strain around her eyes that indicated stress and the slight purse of her lips that indicated frustration.

"Carrots, how ya holdin' up?" Judy looked up at her partner and gave him a warm smile. Nick smirked back at her before pulling her into a tight hug. Judy hesitantly wrapped her arms around his torso then held on tight. They stood hugging for a few moments when they heard the Chief calling their names. Judy patted his arm before hurrying off, Nick lagged behind not looking forward to the verbal bashing he knew was coming for letting the shooter get away. The fox shoved his paws in his pockets and walked as slowly as he could back to the mass of officers trying to organize everything. Jack Savage came out of the building and approached Judy swiftly, his hand went to her lower back and except for a slight stiffness in her spine Judy didn't seem bothered by the touch. Nick glared, barely noticing that he started to walk more quickly. Before he reached the pair Savage leaned in and whispered something in Judy's ear that made her blush and smile at the rabbit. The red fox lifted a lip in a snarl but managed to prevent any noise from escaping his snout. Judy smiled up at Jack and patted his arm before pulling away. Instead of going to Bogo and having his boss rip him a new one he veered away from his fellow officers and marched off in the direction of his apartment. He faintly heard Judy calling after him but that just stirred him to move faster. Nick was so absorbed in his own thoughts that he stopped paying attention to where he was going and let his feet lead him along the familiar streets.

He felt that he had been walking for hours when he finally stopped and looked up at the building that had subconsciously called to him, Judy's building. Nick glanced up and saw that Judy's light was off and he sighed, not sure why he was disappointed. He turned to go when a small figure materialized out of the darkness.

"Nick?" Judy's voice was small but when he looked up at her she rushed over to him.

"I was so worried about you! Where did you go? Oh, Chief Bogo was so mad when you wandered off, you can't do that anymore? You are going to have so much paperwork when we go to work tomorrow." Judy was breathing heavily when she finally stopped talking and Nick smirked down at her.

"Calm down Carrots, I just needed a walk," Nick said with a shrug. Judy studied him closely but didn't push for a better explanation. The fox accepted her invitation for a cup of tea and he followed her into her apartment building. He let her running commentary flow over him and just enjoyed the sound of her voice. Nick was jarred out of his meditative state when Judy started talking about Jack.

"I think he asked me on a date? Which is very strange because he also asked me to be on a task force for a case that he's working in the area…" Nick's good mood quickly deflated and his movement slowed so that when Judy reached her door he hadn't just stepped onto the landing. Judy unlocked her door then stopped and turned to where she assumed Nick would be then glanced perplexedly to him at the end of the hall.

"Nick? What are you doing?" She asked with concern. Nick drug clenched his paws in his pockets and exhaled forcefully through his nose.

"Sorry Carrots, maybe you should have Savage over for tea instead." Nick turned to go but Judy was there before he was even to make it down the first step.

"Wilde, what the hell are you talking about?" She asked, genuine confusion in her amethyst eyes. Nick looked down at her, his face in its traditional neutral expression. He tried to sidestep around his partner but she was too fast.

"Damnit Hopps," he growled trying one last time to dart past her.

"Not until you talk to me, what is going on with you? You haven't been this closed off since before the missing mammal's case?" Nick stopped trying to dodge around her and instead fixated his glare on a burn mark on the old plank floors.

"Nothing, I'm not in the mood for tea," he snapped at her. Judy looked hurt at the tone of his voice but she didn't move out of the way.

"That's not what this is about, you get all mopey and annoyed whenever I talk about Ja-Agent Savage. What gives?" She questioned, crossing her arms stubbornly. Nick's gaze was drawn to the bandaged forearm and the blood that had stained her lilac gown. Instead of answering her question he spun around and marched to her apartment, once he was inside he flopped onto the small sofa she had acquired and crossed his arms.

"Fine. I'll have tea." Judy studied him from her doorway before slowly entering and going about making some tea. Nick pointedly looked at everything except the bunny making tea for him. He didn't look at her until she was in front of him presenting him with a mug of steaming hot lavender tea. Nick's emerald gaze met her amethyst one then quickly looked down at his tea. Judy slowly lowered herself next to him, close enough that he could feel the heat radiating off her body and catch a whiff of her soap, also lavender. She placed a paw on his arm and peered up at him.

"Nick, you can talk to me, I'm your partner, your friend, and you can tell me anything." Nick looked down at her warily before looking back at his tea.

"It's not a big deal, go on the date is Savage if you want." He didn't mean for his voice to hold that much venom. To Judy's credit she didn't flinch at the tone of his voice, instead she got a hard look on her face that Nick was all too familiar with. He knew a lecture was coming and he steeled himself.

"Nicholas Wilde, if this is all because you think I would prefer to spend time with Jack Savage over you then you are being the daftest fox on the planet. I don't know where you got this silly idea but it has to stop. Now." She said with a finality in her tone that dared him to retort. Unfortunately, his nerves were so fried he wasn't able to stop himself from rising to the bait.

"I got this 'silly idea' by the way you act around him. When he first showed up you couldn't stop fawning over him like some vapid fanbunny, blushing and tripping over your words. If it wasn't so pathetic I would have laughed!" He regretted what he said as soon as the words tumbled out of his mount, he was just so frustrated and he didn't even know why. Judy quickly hid the hurt in her eyes, eyes that were starting to swim with tears.

"I am _not_ a vapid fan bunny, and I did not blush because he was talking to me, I was blushing because I was thinking of you!" She shouted before suddenly covering her mouth with her paws. Nick's mean smirk dropped away and he just stared at her.

"Wh-" he had to clear his throat, "What do you mean you were thinking about me?" Judy blushed furiously and looked like she wanted to crawl into a hole and stay there. Instead, she stood up straighter and took a breath.

"I was thinking about how worried you were for me, and…and how it made me feel…" Judy tried to hold his gaze but instead let her eyes shift to the floor, worried that she had ruined whatever they had as friends. Nick stood speechless for a moment then moved to the wall and leaned against it. Trying to absorb all the information that she had just thrown at him. He didn't notice Judy move towards the door until she was opening it.

"Judy?" She stopped and glanced back at him, with a small sad smile.

"I was just going to give you some space, I-I don't want you to feel like I'm putting pressure on you or anything. If-if you want to leave then that's fine, I can talk to Bogo about being assigned new partners so you won't have to work with me." She turned away from him again to head towards the bathroom at the end of the hall. Before he was conscious of his movements he was by her side grasping her bicep and pulling her towards him. He held her against him, his mouth meeting hers in a slightly clumsy passionate kiss. Nick pulled away and Judy stared up at him, dumbfounded. The fox covered up the initial rush of fear with a smirk.

"You are such a dumb bunny." Judy glowered at him, punched his arm, then launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him so fiercely he was worried she had gone savage. Nick managed to stay upright and guide them back into her room, holding her with one arm and forcefully closing her door with the other. Nick managed to pull away from her for a second, wanted to tell her how he felt before he lost his nerve.

"Judy, I love you." The smile that spread across her face nearly melted his heart and he scooped her up in his arms and let himself get lost in her scent and the taste of her kisses. Between kisses, Judy managed to pull away to whisper back to him, "I love you too Nick Wilde." Then they were lost in each other.

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R&R!


	5. Epilogue AKA Come and Get Your Love

Alright folks, I'm glad so many of you have enjoyed the story. I am not finished with the Zootopia Universe yet, not by a longshot so stay tuned for more stories from my in the future! as awlays R&R!

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Chief Bogo's Office

Judy wasn't surprised when Bogo summoned Nick and herself to his office. She had been expecting it ever since he had caught them making out in the records office. What she was surprised at was how calm Nick was being about the whole situation. Standing outside the Chief's office while he waited to call them in she studied his cool demeanor before she couldn't handle it anymore.

"How are you so calm?" She hissed, not wanting to raise her voice too much, knowing it would carry throughout the building. Nick glanced down at her with a nonchalant smile.

"What's he gonna do, fire us? He can't possibly do that, we're two of his best officers." He stuck his hands in his pockets and leaned against the wall.

"Of course he won't fire us, but he could send one of us to another precinct!" She growled through clenched teeth. One of Nick's ears twitched and he looked down at her, concern starting to peak through his outward demeanor.

"He can do that?" Judy nodded furiously then started to worry her lower lip. Her fox, she had started to think of him as hers, studied his feet then looked back to her worried expression. She had her arms crossed over her chest, almost hugging herself. Nick glanced around to make sure no one was watching then moved over to his partner slash girlfriend and gave her a quick tight hug before holding her at arm's length.

"If he tries to transfer either one of us out of Zootopia then I will resign. He can break up our work partnership, but I will be damned if he's going to separate us all together." Judy looked up at him with horror painted on her face.

"Nick! You can't do that, you love this job, you said it was the first job where you felt you belonged, that you finally had a pack. How could you leave a job you love so much?" Nick gave her his usual cocky smirk and shrugged, dropping his arms to his side.

"Easy, I love you more than any stupid job. And as long as I have you I still have a pack. A really small one, but you're all I need." He lovingly brushed her cheek then pulled away slightly. Judy looked up at him, her lips slightly parted before she launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and burrowing her face under his chin. Her hug caught him slightly off guard and he fell into the wall with a quiet 'oomph.' He wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her neck with his snout.

"I love you too, Nick." Before they had a chance to detach themselves the Chief's door swung upon, startling the pair apart. Bogo looked between the two of them, his face unreadable. He grunted his acknowledgment before turning and walking back into his office. The fox and rabbit shared one last glance before they marched to their fate.

Bogo sat at his desk and studied the two mammals over his reading glasses. He clenched his teeth then shuffled some papers on his desk as the two settled themselves in their chairs. He was pleased to see that they both looked terrified. Nick opened his mouth, to make a wise remark no doubt, but the water buffalo held up a hoof before the fox got a chance to speak.

"Let me talk first. Hopps, Wilde, there are strict guidelines when it comes to interdepartmental relations. It is expected that two partnered officers will develop a close bond, but never in my years of working at this precinct have I witnessed a relationship like the two of you have." He turned his piercing gaze toward Wilde, secretly proud that the fox didn't flinch away from his gaze. "I am not surprised that _you_ would engage in fraternization. You are an exceptional officer but you have a blatant disregard for the rules and I have no doubt in my mind that you would let your personal feelings get in the way of your job." Nick looked infuriated but before the fox could utter a word Bogo rounded on Hopps.

"As for you Officer Hopps," He gave Judy a piercing gaze and let her squirm in silence for a moment, "You are one of the best cops I have ever seen. Of all of my officers in this precinct I have no doubt that you will be able to keep your personal and professional life separate enough that it will not affect your job. I trust that you will make sure that your partner does not let his feelings towards you interfere with either of your jobs. Keep that fox under control." He smiled inwardly and the twin expressions of shock on their face. He truly loved being able to shock his officers.

"That being said if I ever catch you two engaging in...relations while on the clock I will personally make sure you each get parking duty for the rest of your lives while working for the ZPD. Dismissed." The two mammals just gaped at him for a minute, their brains trying to process everything that just happened. Judy looked like she was going to argue against his decision but Nick knew it was time to quit. He gently took Judy's arm and led her out of Bogo's office. The water buffalo watching the two go, personally elated that the two had finally come to terms with their feelings for each other and done something about it.


End file.
